Recently I discovered CrossFit Pleasanton. Thank God I did! Prior to finding CrossFit Pleasanton, I had no knowledge of CrossFit. All knew was a friend of mine had been doing Cross Fit and was in pretty good shape. At least better shape than what I was physically displaying at the time. On his recommendation and a desire to get in some type of additional workouts along with playing basketball and maybe losing a few pounds at the same time, I made my way over to CrossFit Pleasanton.
When I arrived at CrossFit Pleasanton I thought I was in reasonable shape. Sure, I had put on a “few extra” pounds but after all, I was still playing basketball competitively 2-3 days per week. Then I met with Zoltan Hites, the owner of Cross Fit Pleasanton and began the introductory classes and the “Workout of the Days”, known as WOOs. Any delusion I had about being in good shape vanished. The introductory classes while somewhat simple, in retrospect.Ieftme exhausted, worn out, and sore.
While participating in the following Workout of the Days (WOOs), men and women of all ages and sizes were kicking my butt. They were faster, stronger, more mobility, and had superior endurance. The contrast that I observed between me and others at CrossFit was so vast that I began to get angry and question myself. How had I let myself get into this deteriorated state? How could I neglect this body God had so graciously given to me? It was then that I thought, Okay, I will give Cross Fit my best effort
and try it for three months. I purposed to do everything Zoltan and Jake Wollach, the other main coach, instruct me to do and then see what happens.
Initially, the first three weeks seemed slow with apparently limited progress taking place. The WOOs were tough and at times I thought,” What am I doing here?” Then somewhere around the third week things began to change. While playing basketball on the days I wasn’t going to Cross Fit I began to notice I was blocking more shots, stealing more passes, and getting more rebounds. Over time it became obvious that CrossFit was impacting my basketball performance. Since joining CrossFit I’ve been jumping higher, my lateral movement and flexibility have improved, and my endurance has increased. I am more competitive and can easily play for periods of 1 to 1.5 hours and still have strength and energy beyond
many that are 10 to 25 years younger than me .
. While my endurance WgS noticeable on the basketball court an_Lncrease in both m'{ endurance and strength began to be noticeable during my workouts at CrossFit. The workouts on the stationary bikes, rowing machines, short runs, and KOR exercises that quickly wiped me out and caused me to be drenched in perspiration began to get easier. In regards to strength, all muscle groups began to improve. On a weekly basis personal records (PRs) for weight and repetition were and are being exceeded.
As my endurance and strength began to increase a bigger change was in progress. My body was radically responding to the CrossFit workouts. Now into my fifth month of CrossFit I have lost more than 25 pounds. My prominent gut has greatly diminished and I am down nearly three belt sizes. The “man boobs” are nearly 70 to 80 gone as well as fat in other areas of my upper torso. Muscles in the middle torso area and abdomen that have been concealed for decades are beginning to reappear. In addition, healthy muscle growth and definition have occurred in my shoulders, back, and arms.
While observing changes taking place in endurance, strength, and physical appearance, other unintended health benefits began to emerge. Initially I was focused on sports/physical performance and physical appearance. However, there were some very distinct health benefits that I didn’t
anticipate. Prior to CrossFit I had often experienced significant leg cramping and this is almost entirely gone. My right leg was also often very stiff and prevented me from sprinting on the court and going all out on the short fast runs at CrossFit. This problem is completely gone and my leg feels great. Lastly, for a number of years I had experienced persistent Pitting Edema in my lower legs. Now as a result of being involved with Cross Fit this Pitting Edema has mostly gone away over the past two months and is rarely
present.
I have written this short testimonial not with the intention of boasting or trying to imply that I am something I am not. I still have a long way to go on this path of overall health and fitness improvement and.rnanv future goals are to be set and achieved. It has.simplv.been written to demonstrate that–
sticking with Cross Fit has made a difference to me and it could possibly do the same for you. I thank God every day for the gift of health and the opportunity to participate in the events at Cross Fit Pleasanton. I hope that I can continue training at CrossFit Pleasanton for the foreseeable future. I thank God for the wisdom and knowledge that he has gifted to Zoltan, Jake, and the other coaches who have in turn used it to help me and others achieve their various fitness goals.
Sincerely,
Andy L.
